Gran, 74, dodges jellyfish, seals and tankers on 15km swim

Woman in a Speedo wetsuit, large goggles and a pink swim hat. She is standing on a sandy beach, at the water's edge. Houses a visible on the other side of the water. — Image caption,
Linda swam from North Berwick in East Lothian to Elie in Fife

Angie Brown

BBC Scotland, Edinburgh and East reporter

3 September 2025

Updated 4 September 2025

A fearless 74-year-old woman has completed an epic swim across the Firth of Forth, despite close encounters with lion's mane jellyfish "the size of dogs", huge seals and even a shipping tanker.

Linda Malcom swam 15km (nine miles) from North Berwick in East Lothian to Elie in Fife in six hours and 15 minutes on Wednesday.

The grandmother-of-three equalled the time set by a team of three women in their 40s and 50s who completed the same challenge as a relay.

Claire Gardener, who was one of the relay swimmers, told BBC Scotland News that Linda's achievement was "remarkable and unheard of".

A man is paddling on a canoe, followed by a woman in a full wet suit and cap, swimming behind him. They are in a vast expanse of water, with only Bass Rock visible on the horizon. — Image caption,
She completed the 15km swim in six hours and 15 minutes

Linda said she was "very proud" of herself to have completed the swim in cold water of about 14C.

"I've never swum that far in open water before," she said.

"It was a good swim but for about three quarters of the swim the tide was coming in the estuary, so it was hitting me side ways on so I had to keep correcting myself.

"The waves were taking me left and I was constantly having to correct that to keep on a straight line so I had to be aware and be careful."

She added: "There was one big cargo ship that went past but all the shipping had been advised about the swim so they had all been diverted.

"I was the VIP on the sea today."

The grandmother-of three wasn't fazed when two seals followed her or about what lurked in the abyss below her.

"I don't worry about anything," she said.

"I thought that was quite cute, they have nice little faces. I said 'hello' to it but it didn't answer anything back."

Woman in yellow dry robe and turquoise woolly hat, with her arms out-stretched. She appears to have just climbed off a boat, which can be seen behind her. — Image caption,
Linda said she was "very proud" of her achievement

Ms Gardener, 52, who swam in a relay with swimmers Jo Lindsay, 47, and Bronwyn Macaskill, 52 - set off 30 minutes before Linda who left at 07:00.

"I couldn't do what Linda has done, I doubt anyone could," she said.

"Her age and swimming that distance in the cold sea is remarkable and unheard of.

"Nobody has done this at her age across the Firth of Forth."

She added: "There has been so much planning gone into this because it is perilous. If you get the tides wrong you could get swept out, it is really dangerous.

"The biggest thing she was battling was not getting hypothermia, nearly seven hours in the water is incredible, I couldn't do that and I'm half her age."

They are all part of a swimming group called the Salty Selkies who were raising money for BBC journalist Glenn Campbell's charity Brain Power.

Six women in dry robes and warm hats smiling broadly at the camera. The woman on the far left has a bottle of fizz. They are posing at the water's edge. Small boats and harbourside houses can be seen in the background. — Image caption,
Linda was one of a group called the Salty Selkies who completed the challenge

Ms Gardner said: "We had seals popping up which was alarming because they are so high out of the water having a really good look at us which is really quite disconcerting.

"And we all saw immensely huge lion's manes [jellyfish] as big as dogs, which stops you in your tracks and you almost have to do an emergency stop in the water because you don't want to hit one of those as the sting is really bad."

She added: "It's literally jaw dropping, no normal person can do it. She is super gran."